Archive May 30, 2025

Nat Sciver-Brunt, England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt, is expected to miss the pending West Indies series while on maternity leave, according to her husband Katherine.

Theo, who was carried by former England bowler Katherine, was born one month after Sciver-Brunt, 32, was appointed captain.

Katherine Sciver-Brunt, the birth mother, claimed in the BBC Test Match Special that Nat was entitled to four months of maternity leave.

She stayed there for three more weeks because England wanted her back for this series.

Because those first eight weeks were difficult, that was a significant sacrifice.

Theo and Sciver-Brunt shared a room during the T20 series’s Monday finale and Katherine’s first day-long international in Derby, where Katherine worked as a BBC commentator.

England’s first two matches were between the all-rounder and Charlotte Edwards, who were hired after Heather Knight and Jon Lewis were fired as a result of the fallout from last winter’s Ashes defeat.

Katherine spent the winter while she was pregnant, but she kept her place during the Women’s Premier League in February and March.

Her wife wouldn’t have arrived home in time for the birth if she had labored while Nat was playing at the Indian tournament.

Nat is England’s first mother since Arran Brindle, who played her final game in 2014.

A stand-in captain was reportedly in the works for this series, which was a difficult question for England, according to Katherine Sciver-Brunt.

However, towards the end of her career, Lottie [Edwards] wanted Nat and I couldn’t deny that.

Nat would not have done it if I had been upset or unsure. Because of her selfless nature, she makes a great captain.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) updated its maternity policy on Friday, following the release of Sciver-Brunt’s comments.

Prior to the 13th week of childbirth, England players were promised a full salary with a percentage remaining, but now they are entitled to 12 months of fully paid leave, an automatic contract extension, support with childcare and breastfeeding facilities, and more.

County players will also receive a six-month contract extension as well as paid maternity leave.

Nat said she would like to have a baby after her cricket career and that she had been given egg-freezing treatment last summer.

It takes more than a year to regain your body’s fitness and get you back to where you were, according to Katherine.

You have worked so hard as a woman to get to that point in your career, but you have to take a step back and balance starting a family.

There is still time needed to decide whether to extract and freeze your eggs, according to the article.

“As an exceptional athlete, you frequently have a long career ahead of you, but not if you want to start a family.”

Amy Jones had waited a while before recording her first international century, which she compiled into 12 years, 225 matches, and 190 innings.

In England’s first one-day international played against West Indies at Derby under the new leadership of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Charlotte Edwards, the wicketkeeper finally made it past the 90s.

After Maia Bouchier’s side omission, Edwards’ first tactical move was to reinstate Jones’ order, and she immediately repaid the favor.

Jones had opened for England 23 times between 2016 and 2019, but she claimed Edwards’ simplicity eased the pressure upon her return to the top.

She said, “You’ve done pretty well opening up at county level, and you’ve got a good go at it.” For me, having that option was really exciting,” Jones said in a BBC Test Match Special interview.

All of England’s players will remember the Ashes drubbing, but Jones’ injury in the second ODI in Melbourne, which really gave the country its spiral, was a particularly painful experience.

Jones, who had been given the task of chasing 181 to bring the series to a 47, missed marshaling the tail and miscounting the balls left in an over.

It is fitting that Jones has responded right away to the call given that Edwards had already made her intentions clear regarding England’s “smartness” in 50-over cricket prior to that series.

In an England shirt before, Jones had previously made it past 90 three times, including 94 in the 2018 World Cup against India, 91 in the 2019 World Cup against New Zealand, and an unbeaten 92 in this knock that sounded like she was slipping on 92 and 93.

With India’s arrival next month, tougher opposition will undoubtedly follow, but Jones’ smile as she embraced fellow centurion Tammy Beaumont in a show of celebration demonstrated how much weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

On BBC Test Match Special, former England seamer Katherine Sciver-Brunt said, “There would have been a few people scratching their heads wondering why she would be opening the batting.”

I’m incredibly pleased because I never believed she had lost that position. She simply assumed that she would be four, five, or six, rather than “I want that spot back” to whoever was in charge.

She has done that well the past two years. She has the first hundred steps under some pressure, and I’m so happy for her.

As the race for top spot in Group B2 descends to the final game, Republic of Ireland forward Emily Murphy said, “dream” of scoring like her late winner over Turkey.

Carla Ward’s side were relying on three points to hold off group leaders Slovenia, with Kader Hancar’s goal early in the second half giving Turkey the lead.

The away side won, however, thanks to a composed finish from Murphy in the 89th minute and an own goal from Busem Seker with 10 minutes left.

Murphy told RTE, “I am thrilled with the goal.”

I’ll admit that I don’t quite recall [the goal] because I just remember having much more time than I thought.

“The former version of myself would have slammed into Row Z,” but I took a deep breath, sat down, and tried my hardest to hit it.

You imagine the game’s winners, but in the end, we should have been better and didn’t want that to happen.

The Republic of Ireland were level after fellow substitute Megan Campbell’s throw-in, with Murphy praising the fact that “everyone who came on made an impact.”

“You have substitutes because there is a reason.” The Newcastle United striker continued, “We need those game changers, and you might need new legs or tactics.”

“Thankfully, the right choices were made, and everyone who came on made a difference,” he said.

The Republic of Ireland will now be guaranteed second place in Group B2, but they can still claim the lead when they welcome Slovenia to Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Tuesday night.

Jess Fishlock questioned why Wales’ crucial Nations League game against Denmark did not have goal-line technology, blaming it as “it needs to be better.”

Wales sported the lead in an encounter that needed to be won, thanks to Midfielder Fishlock, who appeared to have taken them out of Nations League A.

The top tier fixture used neither VAR nor goal-line technology, so the 21st-minute effort was not made.

Wales’ record goalkeeper Fishlock said: “When it’s about whether you stay in League A or League B and the complications with that, we should be having goal line technology.

Although Wales had a difficult start to the game, including losing teenager Mayzee Davies to a worrying injury as the defender left the stadium on crutches, Fishlock said, “We started to settle, started to play, and scored a goal – it needs to be better. We need the technology and everything to make it fair at this level.

Why didn’t a League A game use what has come to be a more accepted form of assistance for match officials, questioned several Football Association of Wales officials at the ground. Uefa has been asked to comment.

Rhian Wilkinson, the head coach of Wales, also questioned why the technology wasn’t being used despite being told otherwise by the fourth official.

Williamson said, “Maybe I didn’t understand, maybe she didn’t.” However, I’m frustrated because it teaches us something, and it shouldn’t for a competition this high, as well.

In their final match before starting their Euro 2025 campaign against the Netherlands in Switzerland on July 5, Wilkinson said she is still proud of her side as they face Italy in Swansea on Tuesday.

However, she will have to wait to see if she has lost Davies, age 18, who was in excruciating pain after only four minutes of non-contact contact, despite her plea for calm and patience as the team waits for a full diagnosis.

She said that anyone who experiences such a traumatic injury is terrified. I’d ask that we just let the medical team do their excellent work, let the swelling subside, and keep our fingers crossed that it’s not as bad as it first thought.

Rhiannon Roberts’ ability to play for Italy will also be determined by Wales.

Play-offs for the United Rugby Championship between the Stormers and the Glasgow Warriors

Glasgow Warriors (19) 36

tries: Horne Con: Horne 4; Rowe 2, Darge, Venter, and Horne Pen:

Stormers (13) 18

The Glasgow Warriors defeated the Stormers to take their place in the final four, continuing their defense of the United Rugby Championship title.

The hosts scored three first-half tries, with a Seabelo Senatla try and eight points from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s boot to keep the Stormers within six points at the break. Rory Darge, Kyle Rowe, and Henco Venter also crossed for the hosts.

Senatla scored a try for the South African team early in the second half, but Glasgow drew level with George Horne and Rowe’s try to bring it home with a little help.

After being defeated at this point last season in the same location, The Stormers had come to Scotstoun in search of retribution.

As the visitors quickly broke through the blocks, Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored the opening points of the game, but Glasgow quickly responded.

After Kyle Steyn’s lovely break, Stormers wing Senatla was sent to the trash for cynically destroying Warriors’ momentum. When Glasgow turned the corner, Darge had to make a creative lineout move to make room for himself.

The Scotstoun crowd soon had more energy when Sione Tuipulotu stabbed a clever grubber in the back for Rowe to latch onto and score.

The stormers then react in bizarre ways.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu launched a free-kick that sparked chaos in the Warriors 22 and caused an up-and-under. Senatla received a good bounce and headed in under the sticks shortly after receiving his yellow card.

Glasgow’s response was swift, with Venter powering over in the corner by peeling off the base of a ruck.

Warriors were forced to hold off a powerful Stormers attack late in the first half to go 19-13-up at the break, but Senatla’s second try sent them flying away for his second try to bring the visitors back within one.

The breakneck pace displayed no signs of slowing down, making this a classic URC.

Rowe crossed for his second try of the evening after Tom Jordan discovered a kink in the Stormers’ defense.

Glasgow had to give themselves some breathing room on the scoreboard, and they did it in the most magnificent way.

After pulling a Stormers lineout, Euan Ferrie led Glasgow out from deep. After a string of superb passes, Rowe fed Horne to the backfield for the Warriors’ fifth try.